Things to Do in Yangon

In a country full of religious shrines, Shwedagon Pagoda is considered the most sacred. Its golden steeple rises high above Yangon’s skyline and relics of previous Buddhas, including a water filter, staff, hairs and a piece of robe, are all kept safe within its structure’s walls. Historians say the pagoda, known locally as Shwedagon Zedi Daw, was built between the 6th and 10th centuries and since then numerous dignitaries, religious figures and political powerhouses, including Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama, have passed through its halls.

Visitors must remove their shoes before going into any of the four main entrances. Travelers will likely pass by religious pilgrims as they ascend the stairs, making an offering of candles, flowers, flags and fruit—an act known as dana—meant to pay homage to Buddha. Visitors should be sure to check out the pagoda’s stupa, which is encrusted with more than 4,500 diamonds, including one that is 72 carats.

The golden spire of this well-recognized pagoda stretches far into the skyline of downtown Yangon, making it easy to spot from even just about anywhere in town. Built more than 2,000 years ago, the pagoda is said to house a hair from that Buddha that was given to two Burmese merchants. Colorful spirits stand guard of a massive brass bell, which residents ring to signal good deeds. In addition to being one of these most recognized pagodas in Yangon and place of spiritual worship, the Sule Pagoda has also served as a meeting place during the 1988 uprisings and the Saffron Revolution, making it an important landmark in the country’s recent past.

Chaukhtatgyi Paya, with its 65-meter-long reclining Buddha, is not only a must-see, its sheer size and rich details make it one of the most memorable stops in all of Yangon. The Buddha’s bright white face hovers some 16 meters above the ground and is decorated with brilliant red lips and bright blue eye shadow. Its golden robes drape down to the statue’s feet, which are covered in 108 intricately designed lakshanas representing each of the noble characteristics of the Buddha. Travelers can witness local monks from nearby monasteries honoring Buddha’s teachings as they wander the grounds, thick with the scent of burning incense and fresh flowers.

Since 1926 this city heritage site known for its rare antiques, old coins, Burmese jade and black market moneychangers has been a destination for locals and travelers alike. The halls of this crowded labyrinth are lined with bustling stalls where local artists sell traditional handicrafts, handmade clothes and hearty regional dishes.

Bogyoke Aung San Market has one of the largest selections of traditional longyi and gemstones, and since the first sale of the day is considered good luck, those who arrive early are likely to get some of the best prices. Travelers can watch jade being fashioned into earrings or bracelets and see clothes being stitched by hand on the second floor of Bogyoke.

Visitors looking to escape the intensity of the market and the sounds of the city can stop into the nearby Holy Trinity Cathedral for some peace and quiet contemplation.

Yangon City Hall is the seat of the various departments of the Yangon City Development Committee, the city’s administrative body, the head of which is Yangon’s mayor. As the place where the city’s leaders meet, the building was also the point of many a demonstration protesting political decisions and situations. In 1964 for example, 200’000 people met here to support Thakin Kodaw Hmaing, an important leader of the peace movement. City Hall marks the center of Yangon and can be best viewed from the Maha Bandoola Garden right opposite the building.

Construction of this building finished in 1936 and the city hall is now considered to be one of the most beautiful examples of combined British and Burmese architecture. It was designed by the prominent Burmese architect U Tin, who also planned Yangon’s central train station. U Tin’s style is well known for its fusion of the seemingly conflicting western and Myanmar’s indigenous styles. Accordingly, the newly repainted bright white City Hall building features tiered roofs, intricate ornamentations on the pillars and arches, but also the solid but elegant colonial build.

Kandawgyi Nature Park, sometimes called Kandawgyi Garden, is one of the reasons why Yangon is often called the garden city. It is a retreat in the middle of the bustle and the noise, where couples, joggers and people looking for a relaxing stroll can unwind in a tranquil setting. The many picnic areas and playgrounds under the shady trees are especially popular with families and kids. But spread over 260 acres you can also find tropical gardens, restaurants and recreation centers, a big walkway along Kandawgyi Lake (the great artificial lake created in colonial times), a mini zoo and good views of the Shwedagon Pagoda and Karaweik Hall. The latter is an enormous replica of a royal barge comprised of three floors of dining rooms, performance halls and shops and reminds of the ancient Burmese kings, who used to travel the waterways of their kingdom on these glamorous boats.

Kandawgyi Park is also the location where regular concerts and festivals are held throughout the year. At the beginning of January, for example, the Independence Day festival is celebrated in the gardens for seven days. Another prominent festival takes place in November, when oarsmen from all over the country compete in boat races on the lake. This annual regatta also includes a royal barge procession, which stands in contrast to the more rowdy races and pays homage to the old times and the beautiful vessels used back then with a lot of pomp and ceremony.

The Bogyoke Aung San Museum is dedicated to General Aung San, the founder of modern Myanmar and is located in the very building where he and his family lived for only two years before he was assassinated in 1947. Regarded as Myanmar’s greatest hero, in what was then Burma’s struggle for independence from Britain, General Aung San is also the father of Suu Kyi, one of today’s most recognizable figures and leader of an anti-government faction that fights against the government her father helped put in place.

The museum was established some 15 years after his death, but everything is still displayed as if the general, his wife Daw Khin Kyi and the three kids were living there. Everyday memorabilia such as books, handwritten correspondences, furniture and family photos decorate the home, Daw Khin Kyi’s dresses can be admired and one of Aung San’s cars still stands in the garage. While the personal effects are interesting to see, the most impressive part of this home turned museum is actually the house it is located in. Apparently, Aung San was a frugal man and the museums interior reflects this by being very sparse, but he did live in a beautiful two-story colonial villa. This museum offers a glimpse into the life of Myanmar’s national hero, who, despite his power was apparently a very honest and selfless man who preferred a simple lifestyle.

Yangon’s Central Railway Station isn’t only the gateway to Myanmar where you can catch the train for further adventures around the country, but it is also the place where one can observe the fascinating everyday life. The station is a hive of activity, with thousands upon thousands of commuters passing through its halls every day. Especially photographers love coming here, interacting with the commuters and maybe even hoping onto the Circle Train for a three hour ride through the suburbs. This iconic line rattles slowly over 29 miles of bumpy tracks and through 38 stations, while vendors hop on and off, advertising their wares, and the uncomfortable benches in the stuffy train cars make your backside hurt.

The Central Railway Station was designed by the famous architect U Tin, who created the station in his distinct fusion style of Western and Burmese elements after the original structure was destroyed by the retreating British forces. With its green tiered pyatthat roofs and golden towers, the bright white paint job, the big windows and graceful pillars, the building has become an iconic sight in Yangon. But although the elegant station is spectacular to look at from the outside and without a doubt very photogenic, it’s the little moments and the activity inside, that make the trip to the station worth it.

The Taukkyan War Cemetery is a memorial in honor of allied soldiers, most of whom died during the Second World War in Burma. Altogether, there are 6374 graves of fallen soldiers from this aforementioned war, hundreds of them unidentified. Inscribed on the many pillars of the Rangoon Memorial are an additional 27,000 names of men of the Commonwealth forces who died during battles in Burma, but had no known grave. Because it was a multinational force with over a hundred different languages spoken within the platoons, the words “they died for all free men” are added in English, Burmese, Hindi, Urdu and Gurmukhi. Some burials were also transferred from other battlefield locations as well as isolated and scattered jungle sites when the graves couldn’t be maintained any longer. Fittingly, to commemorate these individual battles and the soldiers who fought and died there together, the graves at the Taukkyan War Cemetery are grouped together according to regiments, countries and these battlefields in Meiktila, Akyab, Mandalay and Sahmaw.

The cemetery is a very peaceful place and well maintained by the many gardeners caring for the graves and the plants. But despite its beautifully landscaped grounds and its popularity with history buffs, the memorial is a sad place. Many people travel here on a personal pilgrimage to pay their respects to a loved one and often, you can see them taking off their shoes, as is the custom in Myanmar. When walking through the neat row of tombstones and flowers, reading the sheer mass of names and commemorations of soldiers from Australia, India, Africa, England and Burma, the heat and the noise of Myanmar seems to fade far away.

Immerse yourself in the food and culture of Myanmar with a dinner and traditional dance performance at Karaweik Palace. Located on the eastern shore of Kandawgyi Lake facing Shwedagon Pagoda, this glittering restaurant was designed in the shape of a royal barge, and is a landmark in Yangon and popular tourist attraction.